Focus RS500: a high-performance edition by Ford

Ford is premiering a new limited edition of the Focus RS model in Leipzig on April 9. The RS500 is suited for performance car enthusiasts and is being launched as the ultimate performance Ford.

The RS500 will have a limited production of 500 individually-numbered units, all of them being put on sale. The number of units that will be produced were highlighted in the name of the edition but it is also an homage to the legendary Sierra RS500 Cosworth that dominated saloon car racing during the late 1980s. The 500 units will be produced in Ford’s Saarlouis Assembly Plant in Germany, with the last unit scheduled to leave the assembly line in September 2010.

“We were determined to mark the end of production for the current and acclaimed Focus RS with something even more special,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford of Europe's vice president for Product Development. “From its stunning looks to its intoxicating performance, we have no doubt that the RS500 will be appreciated and quickly snapped up by performance car enthusiasts.

Generating 15 per cent more power than the standard Focus RS, the new limited edition RS500 is powered by a 350 PS 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine. It delivers a maximum torque of 460 Nm, between 2500 and 4500 rpm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, reaching a top speed close to the 263 km/h of the standard RS version.

Changes such as a significantly larger air-to-air intercooler to deliver a cooler, denser charge, a larger air filter box for increased airflow, larger diameter exhaust downpipe; and an uprated fuel pump, along with an updated software calibration to optimise the performance of the revised engine, have been made in order to improve the engine’s breathing and combustion.

“The engine’s improved breathing has allowed us to increase power without having to raise turbo boost pressure significantly,” explained Gunnar Herrmann, Ford’s Global C-Car Vehicle Line Director.  “This has made it possible to enhance peak performance while maintaining the excellent driveability, fuel consumption and emissions of the standard Focus RS.”

The limited RS500 edition has also received a new look to match its enhanced performance. The matt black paint finish and the matching alloy wheels give the RS500 a distinctive look, creating a visual impact different from any other production Ford.

The RS 500 will be available across 20 European markets with the demand expected to largely exceed the number of available units. In some countries the very small number of vehicles allocated means the RS500 will be a very exclusive purchase.